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Pa. Senate moves to protect district judges seeking reelection

Chambersburg Public Opinion
Published 9:31 a.m. ET June 15, 2018

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There have been twenty-seven official versions of the flag so far; stars have been added to it as states have entered the Union. The current version dates to July 4, 1960, when Hawaii became the 50th state.
Markell DeLoatch, Public Opinion

More than a third of district judges in a Penn State survey reported encountering hostile behavior when they sought the signatures required for their names appear on ballots for re-election, Mann said. Hostility included abusive language, aggressive behavior and harsh dismissals. Ten percent of those reporting hostility reported physical violence or threats of physical violence.

The Special Court Judges Association of Pennsylvania commissioned the study.

MDJs currently need 100 signatures from Republicans and another 100 from Democrats to cross-file for re-election.

“I’ve had people answer the door and slam it again,” said Manns, who's run once for reelection. “I have not had anyone threaten me.”

He once knocked on a door and looked at a name that seemed familiar, Manns said. When he realized the name had been connected to serious charges, he turned and walked away.

In his first six-year term Manns dealt with 35,000 to 40,000 cases between his office and Franklin County Central Court.

“That’s a lot of names,” Manns said. “In civil cases and landlord-tenant disputes, somebody ends up on the winning side and someone on the losing side. We try to make sure they’re treated fairly. Some people take offense to losing. I can tell you I can’t remember 35,000 to 40,000 names.”

Long-serving judges say that the safety concerns have been out there a long time, Manns said.

The bill would allow an MDJ to file a certificate of nomination for reelection instead of circulating petitions.

Alloway understands MDJs’ safety concerns, according to Jeremy Shoemaker, Alloway’s chief of staff. The legislation also would bring MDJs more in line with requirements imposed on other members of the judiciary.

MDJs are prohibited from engaging in politics, except during their re-election cycle. Other elected Pennsylvania judges stand for retention every few years.

The petition process opens MDJs to quid pro quo -- “If I sign your petition, what does this get me?”

“The courts can’t work that way," Manns said. "The only thing I can say is you get an honest judge who will handle cases fairly. A judge can’t give them anything but justice."